Tender Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions
This tender pork chop with apples and onions dish takes minutes to throw together before it bakes and the end result is a melt-in-your-mouth tender.
I’ve barely been able to contain my excitement about sharing this meal with you! Classy, simple, perfect for entertaining, simple, beyond delicious, simple, healthy, and did I mention, simple?
This dish takes minutes to throw together before it bakes in the oven for three hours. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth tender pork chop basking in caramelized apples and onions swimming in a sweet and savory sauce.
Sent to me by a reader of this here blog, Melanie (there are a lot of us floating out there!), this dish is her signature pork chop recipe and I can see why!
I served this for our Easter dinner over Parmesan smashed potatoes and everyone at the table was singing the praises of these chops as we ate mouthful after mouthful.
Seriously. You must try this. The sweet onions, tart apples and savory pork combines to make a meal you won’t soon forget! (Uh, I happen to have not forgotten it simply because I’ve made it every Sunday since!) Thanks, Melanie!
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Tender Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork loin chops, at least 1/2-inch thick
- 2-3 medium granny smith apples, peeled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
- 1-2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place the onion slices in an even layer over the bottom of the dish. Top the onion slices with the apples. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the apples and onions. Season the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the pork chops in a single layer on top of the apples and onions.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for three hours. Do not open the oven and lift the foil – the pork chops, apples and onions need to be tightly covered the whole time to work their magic (and not dry out).
- Serve each pork chop with Parmesan smashed potatoes and topped with the apples and onions.
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Recipe Source: pork chops adapted slightly from Melanie, a reader of MKC
So I think I have the solution for all you who want to use boneless pork chops from costco. I only had these and was a little nervous after reading what some posted but I was bound and determined to make it work…we just started a food budget so…ANYWAY I used my glass 9×13 and reduced the oven to 300 and cooked them for 2 hours. However I had a thermometer in them and I am pretty sure they were done a little over an hour but was nervous to take them out so quickly. So I think I will try 1-1.5 hours next time. The apples did get pretty soft but I thought they were fabulous when paired with a bite of pork! The plus side also is that the oven wasn’t on as long on our hot summer evening. Anyway thanks Mel for another fantastic recipe. My sisters and I absolutely love your site. 🙂
Mary – thanks for your tips on this recipe! I am glad to know that this can work with boneless or bone-in – hearing from other commenters is invaluable so I appreciate you sharing your input.
So far you have the best recipes I have found..I LOVED the pork chops, so did my hubby :O)
Thanks, Diana! So glad these pork chops worked out well for you.
Hi there, I so love your site..I made your Skillet Mac & Cheese the other night and from now on, that will be my staple mac & Cheese recipe..
My Brother in law was a Chef..Bone In Pork Chops are always more tender than boneless ones especially for baking for longer than an hour. Same with Bone in Chicken Breasts, etc..The bone must help retain moisture in the meat . He taught me that trick years ago, and he was right. I only Barbecue on the grill with Bone-in Chicken Breasts for this very reason ( he also taught me to parboil them to seal the juices in before BBqing)..
This may be the reason why some pork chops get dried out, in this recipe, it is because of the bone..You really should use Bone-in. I plan to make this for dinner tonight, Hope my finicky hubby is pleased :o)
Diana – glad you liked the mac and cheese and thanks for weighing in on the pork chop dilemma. I agree that bone-in is the way to go!
Made these a couple of nights ago and they were deeeelicious! The meat literally fell off the bones and the flavor was perfect. My boyfriend wondered how it would be to put the meat on the bottom. I think that you would miss the beauftiful golden brown color that the chops get from being on top of the onions and apples. Thanks for a great recipe! I will definitely make these again!
Thanks, Michele! I agree that the chops do best on top of the apples and onions…thanks for letting me know you liked this recipe!
amazing!! 3 hours was worth the wait! will be sharing recipe with coworkers and also my family this memorial day weekend… YUM! I’ve never had a pork chop so good!
Beth – I’m glad that this recipe was worth it and that you loved it so much. Thanks for checking in to let me know!
Hi!
I was wondering if this could be done in a crockpot?? Thanks!
Double Dipped Life – check out Shannon’s comment (#9) to get her how-to on the crockpot version.
in response to cat – i had the exact same experience with my costco pork chops. soggy onions and apples and dry meat. i still need to try the bone-in chops.
I was puzzled by this dish. The carmelized onions were somewhat soggy and so they didn’t taste like carmelized onions I’m used to. I absolutely agree that they needed to be bone-in. I had a large package of incredibly thick (Costco) boneless pork that I thought I’d try. Too thick. Over an inch thick. They took so long to cook that they were honstly, dry, dry, dry. Yet they were swimming in this liquid. Since they had to be cooked so long, the apples were mushy and had virtually no taste. Not my favourite but now we know why we should follow the recipe to a T and then modify later. Honestly, I would have done just that if I had had the bone in chops. They are much thinner. Lesson learned. Had to throw it out – no one like it. Sounds like everyone else had better success with the right cut of meat. You always wonder if making changes is an issue – well in this case, it was.
Hey Cat (and Helen) – sorry this didn’t work out that well for you. I hope it works out better using bone-in chops!
I was excited for a pork chop recipe since I have a bunch in my freezer from when I found them at an amazing price, but the ones I have are boneless. Do you think it will make a difference?
marymary – several commenters have given their feedback on the boneless chops. Read through and you’ll probably get a good idea of what to do. I’ve always used the bone-in but I think the boneless will work if you adjust cooking time, etc. based on what others have had to say.
I made these pork chops the other night and I’ll admit I was a little worried (I’m weird about fruit with my meat)…but HOLY COW these were amazing! I’m making them again for Mother’s Day for my Mother in Law. I was wondering if it would still work the same and would everything come out so yummy and tender if I used 6 pork chops instead of 4? I don’t want to ruin it, but my husband, brother in law and father in law can eat a lot 🙂 Any suggestions?
Sarah – so glad you liked these! If I were you and you wanted to make sure these would be a foolproof homerun for your in-laws, I would increase the pork chop count to 8 and straight up double the recipe (using 2 9X13-inch pans). Otherwise, I don’t think you’ll be able to cram six pork chops in one pan – and if you can’t then you’ll be stuck with four in one, two in another or three in each and I’m not sure how you would need to fix the cooking time to compensate for the change. Does that make sense? If you absolutely don’t want to double it – I’d try three pork chops in a pan and cut the cooking time down a bit. Good luck!
loved, loved, loved these. I love carmelized onions so when I found this I had to try it. The pork was really tender and delcious when paired with the onions and apples. Loved the potatoes too!
Thanks, Lisa – so glad you liked this dish!
Since I prefer pork chops falling off the bone, I thought these would be perfect to try slow cooked and they were. I didn’t change the amounts of anything and followed the recipe exactly. I quickly seared both sides of all four chops before putting them in the crock pot and then added the ingredients according to the recipe. I cooked them for about 8 hours on low. My only complaint was that the apples totally disintegrated to mush, so next time I would probably add those halfway or even near the end, but the onions were perfect cooked the whole time. Granted I haven’t tried the recipe the right way, but in case anyone wonders if you can avoid turning on the oven for 3 hours (like during hotter summer months), make them by all means, but try slow cooking them. The flavor is so good! Great recipe for pork chops!
Shannon – it was a matter of time before someone tried these in the slow cooker – so thanks for letting us all know your experience! I’m thrilled these worked out in the slow cooker (and thanks for the advice on the apples).
We had these last night and they were delicious! I had given up on making pork chops because they always turned out dry. These, however couldn’t be more moist and tender. They were so easy, but looked and tasted so gourmet. I love using bone-in meats. I think it really adds to the flavor.
Danielle – thanks! I’m happy these turned out moist and tender for you…glad you liked them!
ok– I confess– I live in Idaho and I am not a potato girl– there I said it. BUT– these were so yummy and I loved them– the garlic and Parmesan were a great combo– now onto the pork chops — which I make maybe 3 times a year-these were the best and most tender chops. so good! I did not peek and it was hard but they just fell off the bone and cut with a fork. My kids said that this was a keeper and I will make this again for sure!– The 3 hours will make this a Sunday dinner meal but that is ok. I can’t wait for my husband to get home from his meeting to try it. He will LOVE it. Thanks for the delicious meal.
Next stop sushi.
idahomichele – it’s ok to be an Idaho girl and not like potatoes – but I’m glad these ones won you over. Also, I’m thrilled the pork chops were such a hit! I hope your husband liked them as well.
My sons LOVE pork so I was excited to try this recipe. I used the thick bone-in pork chops, covered them tightly, never peeked at them, and they still turned out like leather. Any suggestions? I used a non-stick metal pan–would that change the outcome?
Keri – I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you! Sometimes non-stick pans can bake/cook a lot hotter than other pans. My nonstick (dark) muffin and cake pans I always cook 25 degrees lower and for less time to prevent burning so now I’m wondering if you are on to something and if that would make a difference. Hopefully if you dare try them again, they’ll turn out a little more tender!
Yeah, they turned out really yummy but since the apples and onions were on top and the cooking time reduced, they weren’t caramelized, just very tender. Still good, but I want to try it the right way!
My husband actually cooked them and they turned out perfect! I put it all together last night, tossing the apples with Fruit Fresh to keep them from turning brown, and decided to put the meat on the bottom, then layered the onions, apples and brown sugar, figuring that would protect against loss of moisture. Dennis had to check them several times and they were done at 1 1/2 hours. The moisture on top really made them perfect–not rubbery or dry at all. Thanks for sharing! So for people who want to cook boneless chops, I’d recommend the same–put them on the bottom and reduce the cooking time by half. Next time I plan to follow the recipe exactly but I just wanted to use up what I already had on hand.
Veronica, ok, ok, I was wrong. I’m glad your husband DID check so that they weren’t overcooked. Thanks for letting me know!
This is one of the best meals I have ever had! Certainly feels like a Fall/Winter supper but I will eat it year round. LOVE IT!
Nevermind! I went back and read Melanie’s comment. It sounds like I’m gonna have to check on ’em despite your advice not to! Maybe if I put the apples and onions on top it would help keep them moist, despite lifting the foil?
Veronica – I still wouldn’t check them if I were you. I would cut the cooking time by 15-20 minutes and I think they’ll be fine. Trust me on this. 🙂
I’m going to halve this recipe for the two pork tenderloin steaks I have in the freezer. Since they are a different cut and don’t have the bone, do you have any clue as to whether I should adjust the cooking time or not? I’m afraid they’ll be rubbery after three hours but I don’t have a lot of meat-cooking experience (mostly veg here).
These were wondeful! My 16 year old twin boys were just left looking at the empty pan wanting more! Very, very good recipe. Would be great to take as a dinner to a family as well. If you are wondering if you should try this do! Just plan on big kids eatting about two or three chops!
Debbie – I agree, this is a great take-in meal to someone! I’m reading your comment going – I guess that’s what I have to look forward to when my 4 boys are teenagers – eating me out of house and home!
thanks for all the tips. i am looking forward to trying this one again.
Hi Mel-
I LOVE your site and use your recipes all the time. I have never had a recipe of yours fail me…well, there was a close encounter when I was baking the shell for the strawberry cream puff pie, but it turned out great and was simply a tactical error on my part. 🙂
I made these pork chops for dinner tonight. All I had were the thick boneless chops from Costco, and some other thin cut pork chops. I was nervous because of some of the other comments, but this is how I modified:
1. I cut all of the thick pork chops in half so they were all about 1/2 inch thick.
2. I put the apples, onions and sugar in a covered pan and baked then for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. I seared the pork chops in a VERY hot skillet for about 30 seconds each side to lock in their juices.
4. I put the pork on top of the apples and onions, covered it again, and baked them for one hour at 300 degrees, then 1 hour at 325 degrees.
They are perfect! Delicious flavors, lots of juice to drip over the meat and mashed potatoes, and pork so tender it flakes apart with the fork. I will definitely do this meal again. Thanks!
Jenny – whew! So glad the cream puff shell didn’t fail you! Thank you so much for your detailed instructions on these pork chops. It sounds like the results were fantastic and I think your advice will be invaluable for others checking in on the recipe. Thank you!
I made these pork chops yesterday. I’m not normally a pork fan but I cook it once in a while because everyone else in my house likes it. These were delicious – the meat just fell off the bone and there was just a touch of sweetness. My husband said I should throw away all of my other pork chop recipes because this is the one.
Thanks, Dawn! That’s high praise from your husband – I’m glad these worked out great for you.
Next time I’ll have to do one of two things – #1, use the bone in chops. I ended up with very dry, rubbery meat using the boneless. My saving grace were the apples, onions & sauce for a little redeeming value. Or #2 – put the pork chops in the middle of the onions & apples, so they are covered & can’t dry out so much on top. I will give it a whirl again – this is a VERY good recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Melissa – let me know if you end up trying this. I’m surprised that the pork chops were dry – I guess there is something to the bone-in chops like Melanie (author of the recipe) suggested. I hope you like it better next time!
hello! I am the Melanie that submitted this recipe to Mel. I started making this recipe years ago, and have made it probably more than 50 times. It is really important to use good sized bone in chops. I have only used boneless chops once, and it didn’t turn out, due to the long cooking time. I think the only boneless chops that might work might be those huge boneless ones that are REALLY thick. if I were using boneless chops, and especially if I were halving the recipe, I probably would not bake them for the whole 3 hours.
I’m really happy that so many have tried this meal, and enjoyed it! my family enjoys it on a regular basis!!
Thanks for adding your additional expertise, Melanie! My mom has made this twice and absolutely loves it…she says to say thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I made these for my family last night and although the chops were tender and tasty, instead of the onions carmelizing, I ended up with a soupy mixture at the bottom of the pan. I did follow the recipe exactly. I must say the potatos were very good!
Hi Linda – thanks for checking in! I’m glad you liked the potatoes and that the pork chops were tender and tasted good. As for the onions caramelizing – “caramelizing” is probably used kind of loosely for this recipe since the baking method intentionally keeps all the steam/liquid inside of the pan, producing a saucy mixture at the bottom and the apples and onions cook up in that liquid. I hope you still liked it ok, despite it not being quite what you had imagined!
so, (sigh) i’m really sorry buti either did something wrong or this recipe just wasn’t for me. i have never had luck with pork chops and was very excited to use this recipe. i bought boneless chops from costco and followed the rest of the recipe. (actually no, i halved it). hmmm, anyway i made sure the foil was on tightle and let it cook for 3 hours. it was okay, but still they came out a little dry and tough. why does pork do that? the flavor was good although i think i’ll slice the apples a little thicker next time. any comments, suggestions, tips welcome. thanks!
Helen – so sorry this didn’t work out! Pork can be kind of hard – I agree that a lot of times it turns out tough and dry – but I am surprised it didn’t cook up really tender in this dish. Because I used the bone-in pork chops, I’m wondering if there is something to them being more tender than the boneless. I don’t know but it’s my only guess!
We had this for dinner tonight. Loved it! Definate repeater here. I didn’t have Yukon Golds (used red skinned potatoes) but it turned out great anyway.
d – thanks for letting me know you liked these! I bet red potatoes would be equally delicious – they are some of my favorites.
Saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen today and had already taken out pork chops for supper tonight so decided to try it. This recipe is awesome, best meal I’ve made in a long time. It will definitely be made again and again! Great website, will be back to check out other recipes – the lemon poppyseed cookies will be next and then I have to try the vanilla pudding cinnamon buns.
Hi Solveig – thanks for your comment! I’m glad you found your way over here via Tasty Kitchen and mostly, I am so glad that this pork chop recipe turned out so well! Thanks for letting me know!
We had this for dinner tonight and it was yumm-O! It will definitely be made again!!!
Thanks, Jami!
Carmelized onions and apples sounds really delicious!
Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you (1) How much I love your site. I check it everyday so I don’t miss a single yummy recipe and (2) I made these pork chops (and the mashed potatoes) for dinner last night and OMG! Can I tell you that these are the best Pork Chops I have ever eaten?! They turned out perfect and tender and juicy and the combo of onions and apples with the pork was delish! And the potatoes! Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made! I’ve never used Yukon Golds when making mashed potatoes but I have to say, they really do make a difference in the flavor a texture. I loved the roasted garlic and parmesan (both were not overpowering it was just subtle enough so that you still got enough of the buttery potato flavor.) They were as good as any garlic mashed potatoes you’d get in a restaurant. Overall, a phenomenal meal. I can see why it’s your current Sunday dinner staple. Anyone else who is contemplating giving this recipe a try, DO NOT HESITATE. Trust me, you won’t regret it! Thanks again Mel.
Jennie! Thank you for your comment…I was waiting with anticipation to see who the first person would be to say they made this meal (and I was crossing my fingers it would be a good review). Thanks for checking in and for all the details you included in your comment!
Hi there, found you through this amazing recipe posted on Tasty Kitchen. Love your blog and your approach to cooking! Can’t wait to look through your recipe collection! 🙂
I had a pork chop just last night, with applesauce. This would have been so much better! Onions and apples? Yum. Copying now!
You probably know this by now, but this recipe & picture is on the “Top 5” at the top of Tasty Kitchen [where they feature 5 recipes & pictures each day]! Congrats on that!!!!!
Melanie – I’m with Mandy – do you think we could use the boneless pork chops? At any rate, I’m going to give it a whirl – if you cook anything low & slow, it’s bound to be great! I’ll let you know after this weekend how it turns out.
Thanks again for a yummy & easy recipe!
you don’t have to twist my arm to convince me that this’d be amazing! caramelized onions, huzzah! pork and apples, huzzah! EASE, huzzah! excellent, melanie–thanks!
I have a ton of boneless chops in the freezer, could I use those? How would cooking time change? Thanks these look yummy!!!
Mandy and Melissa – Melanie (the one who gave me the recipe) suggested using bone-in pork chops so they don’t fall apart too much when baking, apparently the bone in the chops helps them stay together. However, having said that, I’m ALL about using what you have on hand and I think you should try the boneless. The pork chops may not stay together as well upon baking, but I don’t see that as a problem if you are going to serve them over potatoes.
I’d like to try this with boneless pork chops as well since that’s what I have on hand as well. Would I cook them the same amount of time as the bone-in pork chops?
I think a lot of people in the comments have done that…
These sound so good! Can hardly wait to try them. Thanks for sharing!
Looks awesome- I intend to try assembling, freezing, thawing and cooking this. I’ll report back with results!
How long should I cook the pork chops?
Candy – they bake for three hours.
This looks mouth watering!
I will be making this very soon!
Thanks Melanie & Melanie! 😉
I think I will have to make these this weekend. Easy Sunday dinners are a must. I think most Sundays end up being the craziest day of the week for me. I will let you know how it turns out.
Melanie (the other one) is my friend and I can attest that all of her cooking that I have ever had is de-lish! 🙂 And I am so happy that she posted a link to this on Facebook because now I have found your fabulous site and I am making thos sugar cookies ASAP!!!
Mrs. Howell – welcome! I’m glad you found your way over here! I hope the sugar cookies don’t disappoint!
You read my mind! I was online yesterday trying to find a good bone-in pork chop recipe. I have a million in my freezer and we are getting really bored with my bbq-ed version 🙂 This is on the menu for next week, thanks again Melanie!
This kind of recipe is right up my alley. I’m actually trying a new pork chop recipe as I type and just put it in the crock pot. I’ll add this recipe (and the parmesan garlic smashed potatoes – yum! – to next week’s meal plan. Thanks!
Why did I use the pork chops in my freezer for a lackluster meal last week? This would have been much, much better!
Pork chops and apples…the perfect combination! I hate dry pork chops, and I never thought to cook them for hours. What a fabulous idea! I can just imagine how tender they must be. This will go onto my “must try” list! Thanks for sharing, Mel! 🙂
P.S. The potatoes look amazing, too!
Can this recipe be halved easily? Does the cooking time change a lot if it is? Thanks! 🙂
nancy – I haven’t halved it but I’m guessing it could be done that way just fine. I would still bake it for the same amount of time – perhaps 10-15 minutes less, but that’s all.